Africa's population of roughly 1.1 billion is expected to double by 2050, with more than 80 percent of that growth occurring in cities. The UN projects that 10 of the world's fastest-growing cities over the next 17 years will all be in Africa. Eight African cities are expected to more than double in population size in the next few years. The continent's top three fastest-growing cities are Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Kinshasa.
"On the good side, as these cities get bigger, they'll have a more conglomeration of benefits that potentially can increase productivity that cities offer. We know that in Africa that families moving to big cities probably double their household incomes and job opportunities for all the people in the household. But the challenge is being able to manage that population growth and have livable cities," says Vernon Henderson of the London School of Economics.
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